Rebuilding front teeth that have worn excessively.
This digital smile makeover gives an example of how dental crowns might be used to rebuild and restore the appearance of worn front teeth, even those that have worn extensively.
We’ve stipulated the placement of crowns with this case (as opposed to porcelain veneers) because it seems to be an instance where the strength and durability that they offer would be required for long-term success.
Case issues and concerns:
1) In this “before” picture, you can see how this person’s front teeth, especially his center two, have worn excessively.
We’d suspect that this is an indication that this person has a deep overbite (meaning that his teeth overlap quite a bit).
This, combined with a tooth-grinding habit (dentists call this activity “bruxism”), could easily result in the appearance we see in this picture.
If we had another photo taken from a different angle, we would probably see that the lower center teeth (the ones directly under the worn upper teeth) have a beveled biting edge.
The idea is that as the lower teeth wear away the uppers (from their backside), the front sides of the lower teeth tend to become more and more beveled.
2) Some of the upper front teeth have white fillings that have deteriorated and stained.
3) In back, on the upper right, this person appears to be missing some back teeth.
“Before” photo submitted by website visitor.
Treatment solutions:
1) Rebuilding the worn front teeth using crowns. –
Our “after” picture shows how dental crowns might be used to restore the shape and color of the worn upper front teeth, and the misshapen tooth on the lower left. They would be a better choice than dental veneers due to the superior strength characteristics they offer.
2) Repairs for the other teeth. –
A dental bridge or dental implants might be used to replace the missing teeth on the upper right.
For the lower teeth, the treating dentist could even out their biting edges (as shown in our “after” picture) by buffing them down with a dental drill.